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Feb. 5, 1957 T. M. HURST TEXTILE APPARATUS Filed March 4,

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T. M HURST BY I 2,780,048 l atentedli'ebis, 10957 TEXTILE APPARATUSThomas M. Hurst, Fort Mill, S. C., assignor to Celanese Corporation ofAmerica, New York,'N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 4,1953, Serial No. 340,351 6 Claims ((157-119) One form of apparatus thatis widely employed to effect such winding comprises a ring frame inwhich a yarn is led to a yarn. package through a traveler mounted formovement around the periphery of a ring that encircles a yarn packagesupport mounted on a rotatable spindle. Means are provided for drivingthe spindle at a high rate of speed so as to rotate the yarn packagesupport mounted thereon whereby the yarn is wound onto said support.

Means are also provided for reciprocating the ringrelative to the yarnpackage support to distribute the windings of yarn on said support inthe desired manner. The Winding, of the yarn onto the yarn packagesupport causes the traveler to move around the periphery of the ring ata speed somewhat less than the speed of rotation of the spindle, thedifference in speeds governing. the

degree of twist introduced into the yarn during the Winding operation.The traveler carries the yarn around the periphery of the ring and thecentrifugal force developed by this movement of the yarn causes the saidyarn to form a balloon encircling the yarn package.

The yarn being wound by. the apparatus described above may have defectscomprising slubs or the like.

which increase the diameter of the yarn at the point of the slub. Suchslubs reduce the quality of the yarn and are highly undesirable. Toprevent such slubs from being wound into a yarn package, it haspreviously been proposed to equipwinding machines with separate threadcleaners or slub catchers comprising aslot of a width substantiallyequal to the diameter of the yarn through which slot the yarn is drawnduring the winding operation. It a slub or other defect in theyarn ishalted even momentarily at the slot, the yarn will break between thethread cleaner and the yarn package so that the defective yarn will beobserved by the operator. The slub catchers, which are normally made ofmetallicor ceramic material and which have had both fixed and adjustableslots, are allsubject to 'wear and also to faulty adjustment in the caseof the adjustable type. They add tension and area source of possibledamage to the yarn, and their use compels the operator to thread theyarn through one or more additional paths. As a result, the slubcatchers previously used have been a source of trouble.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a textileapparatus which will'be free from the foregoing and other disadvantagesand which-will be especially simple in construction and eflicient inoperation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a traveler and aring frame in which said tr'avele'r is employed which will incorporate aslub catcher.

Other objects oi this invention, together with certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts, will 2 be apparent from thefollowing detailed description and claims.

According to the present invention, there is provided in a ring frame atraveler which is shaped to form a slot through whichthe yarn is passedon its way to the yarn package. The slot has a width substantially equalto the diameter of the yarn so that if a yarn having a slub or otherdefect is passed through said slot it will stop at least momentarilythereby causing the yarn to break. Since the travelers are normallyreplaced before they have had a chance to wear as a result of theirtravel around the ring, the problem of wear ofthe slot is substantiallyeliminated. In addition, the incorporation of the slot into the travelereliminates the additional threading operation previously necessary whenslub catchers were employed.

In carrying out this invention, the traveler may comprise a generallyC-shaped member having a body portion, an arm projecting generallyatright angles fromthe lower end of the body portion and an arm projectinggenerally at right angles fromthe upper end of the body portion.Duringuse, the traveler is hooked over the ring with the body portionsubstantially parallelto the inner flat surface of the ring, thelowerarmengaging the lower surface of the ring and theupper arm engaging theupper surface of the ring. The upper arnr is shaped to form a slotthrough which the yarn passes on its way to the yarn package, and saidslot is made of a width substantially equal to the"diameter of the yarnso as to catch any slubs or other defects in the yarn. The slot extendsupwardly from the upper arm of the traveler so that it will beself-threading during The angle at which the"yarn balloon reaches the'use. yarn package normally ranges from about 30'degrees out-ward at thebottom of the traverse stroke to about 15' degrees in theoppositedirection at the top of the" This angle varies to some extent with theamount of yarn on the yarn package. Since the" yarn tension is normallygreatestat the bottom ofthe" traverse stroke, it is preferred to havethe slot inclined outwardly from the yarnpackage at an angle of uptoabout 30 degrees to reduce the increase in tension-'pro-- traversestroke.

ducedby the slot at the bottom of the traverse stroke to a minimum.However, it is also-possible to employ atraveler in which the slot isinclined inwardly toward the yarn package atan angle of up-to about 15degrees. It is also possible-to provide-enough clearance between thetraveler and the ring to allow some rocking of the traveler to permitthe traveler to adjust itself to the This inclination of the slot helpsto insure that the slot willbe self-threading."

best angle during the stroke.

Italso reduces *thewear on the yarn andthe possibility of substantialincreases in tension through the use of the slot. a

A preferred embodiment of this invention is the' accornpanying drawingwherein I 7 Fig.1 is a side elevationalview of'the apparatus, an Fig. 2is a detailperspective View, on an enlarged scale, of the ring andtraveler.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral 11 designates arotatable spindle provided with a whorl- 12 around which is trained abelt or tape 13 the motion of which serves to rotate the spindle 11 at ahigh rate of speed, asis well known in the art. Mounted on the spindle11 for rotation therewith'is a yarn package support 14. A yarn 15 fromany suitable source (notshown} passes through a yarn guide 16 positioneddilBCtlYqibOVt} the yarn package support- 14 and then in a balloon 17througha traveler, indicated generally by reference numeral 18,mountedon =a ring 19 which is supported by a ring rail 20. From thetraveler 18, the yarn 15 passes to the yarn package support 14 on whichshown in ,7 g I f 2,780,048 7 it is wound to form a yarn winding 21. Thering rail 20 is reciprocated by any suitable means (not shown) todistribute the yarn 15 in the yarn winding 21 in the desired manner.

' The traveler 18 comprises a generally C-shaped member having a bodyportion 22 which extends substantially parallel to the inner surface ofthe ring 19. Projecting from the lower end of the body portion 22 is anarm 23 that engages the under surface of the ring 19 and projecting fromthe upper end of the body portion 22 is a second arm 24 that engages theupper surface of the ring 19. The arm 24 is shaped to define a parallelwalled slot 25 extending upwardly from the said arm, which slot 25 has awidth substantially equal to the diameter of the yarn 15. The slot 25 isinclined along an angle substantially equal to the angle at which theyarn 15 in the balloon 17 approaches the traveler 18 at the bottom ofthe traverse stroke.

At the start of the winding operation, a yarn 15 is drawn through theyarn guide 16 and then through the traveler 18 following which it isthrown onto the yarn package support 14 which is caused to rotate at ahigh rate of speed by rotation of the spindle 11. As the yarn 15 isdrawn through the traveler 18 it will automatically enter the slot 25 toassume the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, being assisted insuch entry by the inclination of the slot 25. The rotation of the yarnpackage support 14 will wind the yarn 15 onto said support and will alsocause the traveler 18 to travel around the ring 19 at a rate somewhatless than the rotary rate of the spindle 11. The movement of thetraveler 18 will cause the yarn 15 to form the balloon 17. Thedifierence in the rates of rotation of the yarn package support 14 andthe traveler will impart a twist to the yarn 15 as is well known in theart. Any slubs or other defects that exist in the yarn 15 will be caughtby the slot 25 thereby removing said slubs or causing the yarn to breakbetween the traveler 18 and the yarn winding 21, whereby such defectswill be observed by the operator and preventing yarn containing suchdefects from being shipped unknowingly to the customer. In addition, asthe yarn 15 moves through the balloon. 17 to and through the traveler 18to the yarn package support 14 a tension will be developed therein whichwill insure that the said yarn will be under the proper tension as it iswound into the yarn winding 21. Because of the inclination of the slot25, the degree of tension developed in the yarn 15 will not besubstantially increased above that which would exist if the slot 25 wereomitted. The wear. of the slot 25 by the passage of the yarn 15therethrough is also kept at a minimum by the inclination of said slot.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is givenmerely by way of illustration and that many variations may be madetherein without-departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention what I desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. A ring frame comprising a rotatable spindle for a yarn packagesupport, means for driving said spindle, a ring encircling said spindle,and a traveler through which a yarn passes to said yarn package supportmounted on said ring, said traveler being shaped to form a slot extending upwardly from said ring and inclined from said spindle at anangle substantially equal to the angle of the yarn balloon through whichthe yarn passes on its way to the yarn package support, the width ofsaid slot being substantially equal to the diameter of the yarn forpreventing the passage ofslubs in the yarn, and the position of saidslot being fixed in relation to the body of said traveler.

2. A ring frame comprising a rotatable spindle for a yarn packagesupport, means for driving said spindle, a ring encircling said spindle,and a traveler through which a yarn passes to said yarn package supportmounted on said ring, said traveler being shaped to form aparallelwalled slot having a width substantially equal to the diameterof the yarn extending upwardly from the ring and inclined from saidspindle at an angle substantially equal to the angle of the yarn balloonthrough which the yarn passes on its way to the yarn package support,the position of said slot being fixed in relation .to the body of saidtraveler.

3. A ring frame comprising a rotatable spindle for a yarn packagesupport, means for driving said spindle, a ring encircling said spindle,and a traveler through which a yarn passes to said yarn package supportmounted on said ring, said traveler comprising a generally C-shapedmember having a body portion engaging the inner surface of the ring, anarm extending from the lower end of the body portion for engaging theunder surface of the ring, and an arm extending from the upper end ofthe body portion for engaging the upper surface of the ring, said armsbeing integral with said body portion, said upper arm being shaped toform a parallel-Walled slot, having a width substantially equal to thediameter of the yarn extending upwardly from the ring and inclined fromsaid spindle at an angle of between about 15 degrees toward said spindleand 30 degrees away from said spindle, through which the yarn passes onits way to the yarn package support.

4. A traveler adapted to engage a ring in a ring frame and shaped toform a slot extending upwardly from the ring and inclined at an angle ofbetween about 15 degrees inwardly and 30 degrees outwardly and throughwhich a yarn passes on its way to a yarn package sup port, the width ofsaid slot being substantially equal to the diameter of the yarn forpreventing the passage of slubs in the yarn, and the position of saidslot being fixed in relation to the body of said traveler.

5. A traveler adapted to engage a ring in a ring frame comprising aC-shaped member having a body portion, an arm extending from one end ofsaid body portion and an arm extending from the other end of said bodyportion, one of said arms being shaped to form a slot extending upwardlyfrom the ring and inclined at an angle of between about 15 degreesinwardly and 30 degrees outwardly and through which a yarn passes on itsway to a yarn package support, the width of said slot beingsubstantially equal to the diameter of the yarn for preventing thepassage of slubs in the yarn, and the position of said slot being fixedin relation to the body of said traveler.

6. A traveler adapted to engage a ring in a ring frame comprising aC-shaped member having a body portion, an integral arm extendinggenerally at right angles from one end of said body portion and anintegral arm extending generally at right angles from the other end ofsaid body portion, one of said arms being shaped to form aparallel-walled slot having a width substantially equal to the diameterof a yarn extending upwardly from the ring and inclined at an angle ofbetween about 15 degrees inwardly and 30 degrees outwardly and throughwhich a yarn passes on its way to a yarn package support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS651,650 Campbell June 12, 1900 1,226,661 Hine May 22, 1917 1,713,938Whiteley May 21, 1929 1,880,084 Gilligan Sept. 27, 1932 2,132,260Fillinger Oct. 4, 1938 2,718,748 Colbe'ck et a1. Sept. 27, 1955 FOREIGNPATENTS 4,241 Great Britain of 1884 305,608 Germany Apr. 14, 1917654,350 France Nov. 28, 1928

